Chicks for the first Time

[boyswillbeboys]

My kitty loves to catch birds too, but on day one, she came into the coop, looked at the chicks, looked at me, and walked straight out, she doesn't seem to care to bother them, and I didn't say a word at the time. The fence on our run is 5' high, and I think my cat is to lazy to try and get over when she knows she's just gonna get in trouble for it. I'm more worried about wild predators, the good news is if a larger bird, even a seagull flies over, the chicks run for the coop.

Today, the injured broiler came outside, on her own, I am amazed at how well she is doing, considering a few days ago I was thinking of culling her, I'm so glad I gave her a second chance.

They are very friendly, the best way to get the girls to come to me is to pick up a cockerel and sooth him, then the girls just pile on, I had three roosting on my this afternoon

 

[chicken213]

The next time you get chicks get a box with a small coop and a fenced coop outside for a nice play time place put a red light too!

 

[turkenlurken]

Love to read about everyone's chicks and housing, etc. My family thinks I'm nuts because I love chickens so much and think they are great pets. Fortunately ny husband is a pushover for animals, especially birds, so he built me a new security coop after a raccoon incident.
Tim the red lights are a heating bulb mainly used for reptile basking spots. The red light helps them to stay calm and can decrease picking between the chicks. Sometimes if you have mixed chicks one may think another one looks weird and willpower her. The red light helps them to all look the same. Got mine at petsmart and it worked great.

 

[eyotig25]

What can I di for our girls in this oppressive heat to keep them cooler?

 

[turkenlurken]

I put ice in their water. some people use soda/gallon bottle with water and freese them to sit on. I've been giving mine cold watermelon in the afternoons and am running a fine. Some will play in a little water and they might like a cool misting with water. I do feel bad for them right now and can't wait for the storms to come through tomorrow night and cool it doan.

 

[turkenlurken]

I meant fan--

 

[akfarmfamily]

In Alaska and new to chickens. Bought 4 mixed breed hens and loved them so much we hatched chicks and have 16 babies. They are all mixed breeds and some have 5 toes and feathers on their feet. I absolutely love to watch them run around the yard. Hardly know why we built a chick house because they seem to hate it and would rather lay under a bush. Always impressed that they stay in the yard without a fence. The babies are six weeks old now and my five little kids spend more time playing with the chickens than they do the dogs. All the chicks and hens come running when I call them. I thought we would enjoy the eggs, but i was wrong. We do love the eggs, but we love the chickens much more. Raising chickens is the best!

 

[boyswillbeboys]

I have been putting the chicks to 'bed' around 9 each night, since DH finished the run, they are outside all day, only going in to eat from the feeder, and find a shady nap during the hottest parts of the day. Every night I feel like a fool chasing them around, calling bedtime, and there always has to be a smartalec who refuses to go into the coop with everyone else, and I get to chase her back and forth a few times. I know that they will get it eventually, for the most part they have it figured out, and go in on their own, when I start the round up.

Tonight I noticed my leghorns are picky and spill a lot of food on the floor looking for their favourite pieces, I got a different feed, straight from a local mill this week, and am changing them over, so hopefully they like it better, and stop wasting so much. I think they do, because I am alternating it in the feeder, one scoop at a time, and after a bit of the old pecking and tossing, she started eating straight from where the food comes down. I think the new feed is fresher, as its from local crops, milled locally, instead of being trucked all over the province. I'm paying a bit more, but I'll suck up a dollar or two for happier healthier chicks.

 

[akfarmfamily]

Funny. I'm just tossing feed on the ground saying "chick chick" a couple times a day. Chicks run to me when they see me. They eat feed from my hand and my 9 yr old.. Throw some feed into the coop and they run in at night. The mobile run has a dirt floor. They know the boys chase them and run when they appear. Smart fellas. My girls spend a lot of time holding them and the often perch on their arms. I love watching the kids and chicks... Even laugh at six yr old who says god put them here so he could chase them. My one rule is no chasing them in the coop.

 

[Jaxemae]

When is a good age to let your chicks start to free range?  How old?  Are there any concerns that I need to be aware of before doing this?  Mine are 8 weeks old, 95% feathered, have always been in the coop and are starting to get a little stir crazy.  I would like to free range them but I want to be sure they'll be ok and come back to the coop.

my girls have been outside since they were about a month old. When I put them up at night I make them follow me with a teasing of food that I put in the coop when everyone gets in. They are getting the jest of it